Cooking Lamb Testicles with Efendy’s Somer Sivrioglu

In 2013, Efendy restaurant pushed the envelope at Taste of Sydney by serving a rather tasty deboned sheep’s head. “Today, you’ll be eating testicles,” was Chef Somer Sivrioglu’s response when I gently reminded him at this year’s festival.

An invitation to watch, learn and taste is hardly up for refusal. So we go behind the scenes at Taste of Sydney 2014 to see these delicacies being prepared.

Male readers may wish to skip this section or cross their legs first.

Chef Somer Sivrioglu Preparing Lamb Testicles

The lamb’s testicles are best prepared when frozen, Somer explains as he put a knife through one. The membrane and sac are removed and all is left is the organ itself. It looks surprisingly like a chicken breast. It’s very clean and devoid of any blood vessels or other anatomical parts best left out of a food article. The testicles are then kept refrigerated until use and they shed a little water as can be seen in the plastic container.

Once the preparation is made, the testicles are pan-fried in butter where they shrink a little and puff up. Once cooked right through, they have the texture of sweetbreads and a flavour that is very palatable. The dish is served with almond tarator sauce, a popular Middle-Eastern sauce used with fish and seafood and topped with isot chili.

About the author

Corinne Mossati

Corinne Mossati is the Founder/Editor of popular online magazine Gourmantic and Cocktails & Bars, a website dedicated to cocktail culture and the discerning drinker. She is named in Australian Bartender Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential List since 2013, is a member of The Academy responsible for judging the World’s 50 Best Bars. She has also judged the inaugural Australasian Whisky Awards and various national cocktail competitions.

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